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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · craft · spring · ruler · cue · squash · scale · track

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spring — a coil
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — obliged
  19. craft — boats
  20. cue — a signal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. track — a path
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com